Teeth Whitening

Overview

Brightening your smile is as easy as visiting your dental practitioner for a whitening treatment or purchasing one of the many at-home treatment options available. You do not necessarily have to change your habits to whiten your teeth. Simply replacing your regular toothpaste with whitening toothpaste is a great way to start whitening your smile gradually. Using a whitening mouthwash, whitening pens, strips or trays are all ways to supplement your normal oral hygiene habits.

Certain foods and beverages can cause teeth to become discoloured. These include coffee, tea, wine and sports drinks. Smoking also causes teeth to become discoloured.

Benefits

While our teeth are not, by nature, perfectly white, most people feel that they could improve their smile with brighter, whiter teeth. Over time, teeth acquire surface stains as a result of eating and drinking certain foods and beverages. They also naturally discolour with age, as a result of acquiring pigmentation inside the teeth. There are various ways to safely remove the surface stains and the internal discolouration, leaving a whiter, more radiant smile.

Care

Practising good oral hygiene is essential for anyone who wants whiter teeth. Brushing and flossing are great ways to take care of your teeth and help prevent stains from forming. Your dental practitioner may recommend a mouthrinse or additional help in maintaining good oral hygiene.

Some foods like apples, pears, celery, carrots, cauliflower and cucumbers can actually help keep teeth cleaner and prevent staining. Adding these foods into your diet can help keep teeth white. Limiting your intake of stain-causing foods and drinks like coffee, tea and red wine and quitting smoking also helps to prevent staining.

Procedure

There are many ways to whiten your teeth; here are a few of the popular types of whitening procedures:

Professional Teeth Whitening

For the fastest and most efficient whitening, your dental practitioner can offer in-office treatments. These options contain whitening agents in higher concentrations and produce results much more quickly than over-the-counter options. In fact, your teeth may be visibly whiter in just one visit. You also have the added benefit of a treatment that is supervised by a dental practitioner. Additional home whitening is usually recommended to ensure the long-term success of these in-office whitening treatments.

At Home Whitening

Even after a professional teeth whitening procedure, teeth may gradually continue to become stained. If your dental practitioner recommends using an at-home whitening kit, often instructions for use are also provided. Lifestyle factors, such as smoking and drinking stain-causing liquids, may require more frequent touch-ups. Speak with your dental practitioner for more information about the at-home whitening method best suited for you.

If you are looking for a cheaper option, you could try using over-the-counter products, like whitening toothpaste, whitening strips or a whitening pen. These products are all available in supermarkets and pharmacies.

Laser Whitening

Laser teeth whitening is an effective way to remove teeth stains quickly. The procedure takes place in the dentist’s office and can give immediate whitening in one appointment. Consult your dentist if you are interested in this procedure.

Get whiter teeth

Get rid of stains for a brighter smile! Try one of our whitening products for whiter teeth.